The Pocket Pro was near the top of my list when I was researching what my first eBook reader would be. Ultimately the Sony PRS-600 won out, and so far I am very happy with it. However, I soon learned that I've become addicted to the power of carrying lots of books with me wherever I go, so I decided to order the Pocket Pro as a second reader. A bit over-indulgent? Perhaps. But reading can be really good for you, right? Well...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I realize every device has its "issues" and this is no doubt true with the Pocket Pro. However, having this forum, and company-affiliated posters here (Hiya Robertb!) give me greater confidence that whatever issues I might encounter stand a better chance of being resolved with minimal stress. And unlike with Sony (unfortunately), Astak seems to be a bit more "actively invested" in addressing their customer's concerns. (No offense to Sony intended--it's just been my experience and what I've read of others.)

To wit, some PRS-600 owners, myself included, are experiencing an "issue" with text rendered in bright sunlight being faded and unreadable. (This is being discussed at length on another thread here.) If I learn that I can replace my Sony for one that doesn't suffer from this, I'll want a "backup" to use while I'm waiting for a replacement to arrive. Plus...I think it will be cool having two different readers. And I know I'll enjoy the unique capabilities of the EZ Reader just as I do my PRS-600. (Plus, I notice that several people here own more than one reader. So I won't be alone.)

Anyhow, I'll be following what's happening in this forum along with the other great forums here. I imagine you'll be hearing from me again with some questions now and again once I have my new Pocket Pro. If anyone wants to suggest any "quick start" ideas, I'm all ears. I understand I'll be needing to upgrade the firmware, amongst other things. I also have read that there may be issues using Calibre as a book manager with the Pocket Pro...or that might be "old news."

It's great to be able to have the experience of so many others in all these "e-book" areas, from devices, to formats, publication creation, etc. Very, very cool.

p.s. I ordered a blue one from www.theezreader.com - I hope that was the right choice. I see that New Egg sells them and I guess I could have purchased mine there. We'll see how it all turns out.

The Pocket Pro was near the top of my list when I was researching what my first eBook reader would be. Ultimately the Sony PRS-600 won out, and so far I am very happy with it. However, I soon learned that I've become addicted to the power of carrying lots of books with me wherever I go, so I decided to order the Pocket Pro as a second reader. A bit over-indulgent? Perhaps. But reading can be really good for you, right? Well...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I realize every device has its "issues" and this is no doubt true with the Pocket Pro. However, having this forum, and company-affiliated posters here (Hiya Robertb!) give me greater confidence that whatever issues I might encounter stand a better chance of being resolved with minimal stress. And unlike with Sony (unfortunately), Astak seems to be a bit more "actively invested" in addressing their customer's concerns. (No offense to Sony intended--it's just been my experience and what I've read of others.)

To wit, some PRS-600 owners, myself included, are experiencing an "issue" with text rendered in bright sunlight being faded and unreadable. (This is being discussed at length on another thread here.) If I learn that I can replace my Sony for one that doesn't suffer from this, I'll want a "backup" to use while I'm waiting for a replacement to arrive. Plus...I think it will be cool having two different readers. And I know I'll enjoy the unique capabilities of the EZ Reader just as I do my PRS-600. (Plus, I notice that several people here own more than one reader. So I won't be alone.)

Anyhow, I'll be following what's happening in this forum along with the other great forums here. I imagine you'll be hearing from me again with some questions now and again once I have my new Pocket Pro. If anyone wants to suggest any "quick start" ideas, I'm all ears. I understand I'll be needing to upgrade the firmware, amongst other things. I also have read that there may be issues using Calibre as a book manager with the Pocket Pro...or that might be "old news."

It's great to be able to have the experience of so many others in all these "e-book" areas, from devices, to formats, publication creation, etc. Very, very cool.

p.s. I ordered a blue one from www.theezreader.com - I hope that was the right choice. I see that New Egg sells them and I guess I could have purchased mine there. We'll see how it all turns out.

Dear Xochipilli:

You may well find that you fall in love with the Slate Blue Pocket PRO and your nice Sony gathers a bit of dust. The colors of the Pocket PRO were picked BY MobileRead Forum members. First choice was Slate Blue!

What normally happens when people order the Pocket PRO as a spare, they are impressed by the light weight. At 5.8 ounces... it is a pleasure to hold. Then they discover they can turn pages on the left side, bottom side, and the right side scroll wheel. Soon, they find that scroll wheel becomes very addictive as the Pocket PRO has the Epson Controller for faster page turns.

Will this happen to you? I hope so. I think you will soon fall under its spell.

You bring up a really good point: the members on here are incredible! Almost any question or problem is answered and solved before I even can get around to it. We have a group here of some of the most helpful and knowledgeable people in the world on eBook Readers. So, yes, I am here. But, I am largely superflous. The prople on here now know more about the Pocket PRO than I do! All my fun has gone. I get to welcome people and then everyone else becomes your source of expert info.

When you get the Slate Blue Beauty please remember to do the folowing:

1. Charge it 8-12 hours initially.
2. Do the latest firmware upgrade at: www.theEZreader.com/html
3. On that same website, read our FAQ sheet. It really is updated often and can be a great help.

A new website for buying eBooks (ALL PDF and EPUB) will be announced next week. I cannot say any more until it is ready... but this should be real fun. Your Sony can buy off it too!

It is GREAT to have you here and welcome to our merry band of Astak Lovers!!

Welcome to the Astak club. I think you will enjoy your new PP reader. No reflection in sunlight in snowy/sunny conditions. Watch out, PP may become your preferred reader before you know it. It has replaced my 505 as the defacto on the go reader in my life.

Calibre: does have issues, hopefully those will improve over time.

formats: give FB2 a go, it is a good rival to epub and has heaps of options.

I researched a lot of readers before buying my PP. I loved my old RCA reader from 2002 but it was so hard and impossible to convert books for it. Once the PP arrived I realized it was the right choice. I went with the maroon and loved it so much that two weeks later I bought the slate blue and sent it to my boyfriend overseas in the Navy. He loves it and his shipmates all want one. I agree with the others here, that after a while your backup will be the Sony and your everyday reader will be the PP. Enjoy!

The only issue I've had with Calibre and the PEz is that FB2 files made by Calibre don't work on the current Astak firmware. They do work on the LBook firmware (LBook is the Russian version of the PEz). Since Astak is about to release new firmware with the updated FB2 software, I'm expecting that one issue to go away soon.

The only issue I've had with Calibre and the PEz is that FB2 files made by Calibre don't work on the current Astak firmware. They do work on the LBook firmware (LBook is the Russian version of the PEz). Since Astak is about to release new firmware with the updated FB2 software, I'm expecting that one issue to go away soon.

I have that problem. I narrowed down what I felt the issue to be. Any FB2 that has links/images didn't load on the PP. If I used Calibre or Bookdesigner and used a .txt to convert from and did not put in any links/images it worked no problems...but as soon as I put in a link......

I think the overall issue is the fb2 parser version, which Jinke are working on updating.

Hey! Thanks for the welcome, Robertb and Hidari. Very nice to be poking around this dimension of MobileRead.

And talk about info...all of a sudden, I'm learning about a new eBook format I hadn't heard of before: FB2.

Intriguing.

Thanks again, everyone, for the warm welcome...and Robertb: thanks for making the Slate Blue Beauty sound so....sexy. (You should be in sales, dude! Erm...yeah.)

I've already downloaded the mysteriously named firmware file (8.rar) and I'll be reading through the FAQ on theEZreader website, along with posts here to prep myself as I wait for my new unit to arrive.

Hold on a second here...Xochip did you get the 5" Pocket Pro or the 6" EZ Reader?

It's the 5" Pocket Pro. I definitely like the 6" screen on my Sony, but am open to enjoying something slightly more compact.

And...I gotta say that I'm really intrigued by the FB2 format. I don't know if it will catch on in the English-speaking world though. Hopefully the new firmware will bring matters up-to-date where Calibre-converted FB2s are concerned. Are the FB2 books produced by BookDesigner also problematic with the current firmware?

I convert to FB2 using Calibre. ....No problems.... Usually, I convert from .mobi, .epub, or .lit. I would not convert from PDF to anything on Calibre. Does not seem to work well for me or at all. That said...PDF isn't meant to be converted from what i read on MR>

And...I gotta say that I'm really intrigued by the FB2 format. I don't know if it will catch on in the English-speaking world though. Hopefully the new firmware will bring matters up-to-date where Calibre-converted FB2s are concerned. Are the FB2 books produced by BookDesigner also problematic with the current firmware?

From all my testing regardless of whether Calibre or BookDesigner was used to create the FB2, if it contains links (TOC) or images, the current firmware has problems opening it up.

According to the FedEx tracking website, my new Astak will be here sometime today. I know I will have to contain my enthusiasm and give it time to charge - probably up here on my desk where I can gaze upon it with longing and fabled anticipation.

I've read the FAQ, I've read a copy of the manual someone posted here. And I've been reading plenty of posts. I think I'll be ready.

After reading Davimee's tale of woe regarding ordering through Car Toys, I have to say I'm pretty psyched that ordering directly from theEZreader.com website has gone so smoothly and quickly. I ordered it last Thursday! (I'm glad she was finally able to get her reader.)

I realize it is the mark of an evolved human being to be able to take whatever life throws at us with some degree of calm and presence, but as someone who can 'over-think' things I really like to manage my expectations in order to enjoy a more 'glass half-full' experience of this amazing life I've been gifted with. Having this forum helps a lot in this effort.